Toy



July 5 1938.

S. F. MQRRIS ET AL TOY ' Filed June21, 1937 INVENTORS SA/flusb FRED MORRI$ .fi/vD FuKuo KuRnMocmJ ATTORNEY Patented July 5, 1938 UNITED STATES FATENT @FFFIQE TOY tion of New York Application June 21, 1937, Serial No. 149,282

8 Claims.

This invention relates to toys and more particularly to motor operated traveling toys which are self-reversible.

One object of the invention is to provide a selfreversing traveling toy which is simple in construction and reliable in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toy boat with propelling means automatically set into operation for reversing the direction of movement of the boat when the latter strikes an obstacle.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a self-reversing toy with independent means for propelling the same in opposite directions.

A yet further object of the invention is generally to simplify the construction and operation of self-reversing motor propelled toy vehicles.

The above objects of the invention and other objects which might hereinafter appear will fully be understood from the following description considered with reference to the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a toy boat embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the boat, the deck and superstructure being removed;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, the toy embodying the present invention is, as here shown, in the form of a boat l0 comprising a body which includes a hull l2 and a deck I 3 which carries a superstructure I5. Said boat is provided with propellers l8 and 2d at the bow and stem and with rudders 22 arranged in pairs at opposite sides of each of said propellers. A spring motor 24 of any suitable well-known construction is mounted in a frame 25 in the hull of the boat. The motor shaft 28 is vertically disposed in said frame and the winding stem 3! is similarly vertically disposed. Said winding stem is in alignment with an opening 32 in the top 34 of the superstructure in position for en" gagement by a winding key (not shown) which may be inserted through said opening 32 for winding the spring 38 of the motor in a well understood manner.

The propellers l8 and 28 are selectively operated independently of each other to propel the boat in different directions under the control of shifting mechanism which includes a member 38. Said member 38 is movable longitudinally of the hull l2 and, as here shown, is in the form of a plate having companion spaced arms 56 at each end thereof which are received Within cut-outs 42 in the upper edge of the boat hull for guiding member 38 in its longitudinal movement. Bumpers M are carried by said arms on the exterior of the boat in position to engage an obstacle that might be encountered by the boat when it is operated. The movement of member 38 in either direction is limited by said bumpers by the engagement thereof with the body of the boat. The intermediate portion 45 of member 38 is disposed laterally of frame 26 and has an end portion 48 provided with a rearwardly extending vertically offset part 5t which extends toward frame 26. Said part 56 is held rigidly in horizontal position by a strip 52 connected thereto and to the intermediate section 45 of member 38. Said part is provided with an openin 54 in which one end 56 of a pivoted lever 58 is engaged. The other end 653 of said lever engages a disk 62 fixed to a horizontally disposed rotary shaft 56. The disk 62 engages the end iii] of lever '58 in a slot 68 so that said disk 62 can freely rotate in relation to lever 58.

Propellers l8 and 2B are individually rotated independently of each other by shaft 66. The construction and arrangement of parts by which this is accomplished will now be described. Shaft 56 is mounted for rotation and also for longitudinal movement in the ends N3 of frame 26 and in 2. lug ll fixed in said frame and is moved longitudinally of the hull of the boat by the engagement of the lever 58 with disk 62 under the control of member 38. Said shaft extends through and is movable longitudinally of a sleeve or tube '12 but is connected to said sleeve by a pin M which engages the latter in a groove 76 whereby said shaft is rotate-d by said sleeve. Said sleeve '52 is rotated by a gear 18 which is fixed at the lower end of a rotary shaft 8!? and which engages a gear 82 fixed to said sleeve. Shaft is provided with a gear at which meshes with a gear 36 of the train of gears of the spring motor 24 whereby said shaft is rotated by said motor. Sleeve 12 is held by lug ll and the frame end Hi against longitudinal movement. Each end of shaft 66 is provided with a crank arm 83 arranged to engage a companion crank pin 9 which projects rearwardly from a crank arm 8! at the inner end of each propeller shaft 82. Each of said propeller shafts is mounted for rotation in a stationary bearing tube 94. As

shown more clearly in Fig. 3, said bearing tubes 94 are inclined slightly in a downward direction from the inside of the hull to the outside thereof.

It will be understood that as the shaft 66 is shifted longitudinally by the lever 58 under the control of the bumper actuated shifting member 38 the crank arm 88 at one end of said shiftlng lever engages the companion crank pin 9! of the adjacent propeller shaft for rotation of the latter when said shaft 66 is rotated. Thus, as illustrated in the drawing the shaft 66 is in engagement with the propeller shaft 90 of the propeller 2|] for rotation of the latter whereby the boat is propelled forwardly. When the boat encounters an obstacle the bumper 44 at the bow of the boat is engaged by said obstruction whereby the member 38 is shifted toward the stern of the boat thereby causing the lever 58 to disengage the shaft 66 from the shaft of the propeller 20 and bringing said shaft into engagement with the shaft of the propeller l8 which thereupon rotates and causes the boat to move in the opposite direction.

Each of the rudders 22 is fixed to a vertically disposed shaft 96 rotatable in a vertically disposed stationary bearing tube 98 which projects through the wall of the hull from the inside to the outside thereof. The rudders 22 of each pair at each end of the boat are connected together for con-joint operation. For this purpose the upper ends of shafts 96 are provided with a crank arm I00, which are connected by a link I02. It will be observed that companion rudders 22 at each end of the boat are disposed at opposite sides of the adjacent propeller and project somewhat beyond the latter, thus tending to prevent engagement of the propeller with any obstruction which might damage it.

Thus, it is seen that the construction herein shown and described is well adapted to accomplish the several objects of the present invention. It will be understood, however, that the invention may be embodied otherwise than as here shown. For example, the invention may be embodied in a wheeled vehicle by providing pairs of wheels mounted on axles disposed at each end of the body and connected by gears to a shaft such as shaft 92 for rotation by the latter. Various other modifications of the invention may be made. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited precisely to the construction herein shown or described except as may be required by the appended claims considered With reference to the prior art.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A traveling toy of the class described comprising a body, a motor carried thereby, individual means mounted in said body for propelling the latter in different directions, respectively, means actuated by said motor for selectively operating said propelling means independently of each other, said motor actuated means comprising a rotary shaft mounted in said body for longitudinal movement in opposite directions for operative engagement with one of said propelling means, and means for longitudinally moving said rotary shaft.

2. A traveling toy of the class described comprising a body, a motor carried thereby, individual means mounted in said body for propelling the latter in different directions, respectively, and means actuated by said motor for selectively operating said propelling means inde- 76. pendently of each other, said motor actuated means comprising a rotary shaft mounted in said body for longitudinal movement in opposite directions for releasable operative engagement with one of said propelling means, and obstacle actuated means carried by said body and mov-- able therein for operatively engaging said shaft with one of said propelling means.

3. A traveling toy of the class described comprising a body, a motor carried thereby, a shaft mounted for longitudinal movement in said body and rotated by said motor, means mounted in said body at the opposite ends thereof for propelling the latter in different directions, respectively, each of said propelling means including a rotary shaft constructed and arranged for operation by said motor actuated shaft, and means for moving said motor operated shaft longitudinally to disengage the latter from one of the shafts of said propelling means and for operatively engaging said motor rotated shaft with the other of saidshafts of the propelling means.

4. A traveling toy of the class described comprising a body, a motor carried thereby, a shaft mounted for longitudinal movement in said body and rotated by said motor, means mounted in said body at the opposite ends thereof for propelling the latter in different directions, respectively, each of said propelling means including a rotary shaft constructed and arranged for operation by said motor actuated shaft, means including a pivoted lever for moving said motor operated shaft longitudinally to disengage the latter from one of the shafts of said propelling means and for operatively engaging said motor rotated shaft with the other of said shafts of the propelling means, and obstacle actuated means operatively connected to said lever carried by said body and movable therein for moving said shaft longitudinally.

5. A toy boat comprising a body, a motor carried thereby, a rotary shaft operated by said motor and mounted for longitudinal movement in said body, rotary shafts mounted in said body at the opposite ends thereof and extending through the latter, a propeller fixed to the outer end of each of said last mentioned shafts, and means for longitudinally moving said motor operated shaft in opposite directions to disengage the latter from one of said propeller shafts and to engage it with the other of said propeller shafts, said last mentioned means comprising a member extending longitudinally of said body and movably mounted therein, said member hav ing parts at its opposite ends disposed externally of said body in position to engage an obstacle in the path of said body.

6. A toy boat comprising a body, a motor carried thereby, a rotary shaft actuated by said motor and mounted for longitudinal movement in said body, a tube carried by said body and projecting through the latter, a rotary shaft projecting through said tube, a propeller fixed to the outer end of said last mentioned shaft, means carried by the inner end of said propeller shaft for operative engagement with said motor actuated shaft, and means for moving said motor actuated shaft longitudinally to engage the latter with and to disengage the same from said propeller shaft.

7. A toy boat comprising a body, a motor carried thereby, a rotary shaft actuated by said motor and mounted for longitudinal movement in said body, a tube carried by said body and projecting through the latter, a rotary shaft projecting through said tube, a propeller fixed to the outer end of said last mentioned shaft, means carried by the inner end of said propeller shaft for operative engagement with said motor actuated shaft, and means for moving said motor actuated shaft longitudinally to engage the latter with and to disengage the same from said propeller shaft including obstacle actuated means carried by said body and movable therein.

8. A toy boat comprising a body, a motor car ried thereby, a rotary shaft actuated by said motor and mounted for movement longitudinally in said body, tubes carried by said body at the opposite ends thereof and projecting through the walls of said body, rotary shafts mounted in said tubes and projecting through the latter, a propeller fixed to the outer end of each of said last mentioned shafts, the inner end of each of said propeller shafts having means constructed and arranged for operative engagement by said motor actuated shaft, said motor actuated shaft having a disk fixed thereto means including a pivoted lever having one end thereof engageable with said disk for moving said motor actuated shaft longitudinally to disengage the latter from one of said propeller shafts and then engage the same with the other of said propeller shafts, and obstacle actuated means carried by said body and movable therein for moving said motor actuated shaft longitudinally in said body for disengaging it from one of said propeller shafts and engaging it with the other of said propeller shafts, said last mentioned means being operatively connected to the other end of said lever.

S. FRED MORRIS. FUKUO KURAMOCHI. 

